On the weekend of 6, 7 and 8 May, under construction will bring together musicians, dancers and performing artists from all over the world in the future Pina Bausch Centre. Together with Fridays for Future Wuppertal, urban gardening specialists, scientists and researchers, we will discuss the importance of climate change and climate protection for art and culture today and talk about what needs to happen in order for the arts to effect positive societal change in the future. We will ask ourselves how theatres can work sustainably, how we can become more mindful of the resources we use, and what practical steps need to be taken to ensure that the creative industries contribute to the preservation of nature, the very basis of our existence.
Without losing sight of our original focus on climate protection, we also want to reflect with you on how we can respond to war, death and destruction in Ukraine, the news of which is overwhelming us as we prepare this festival. The planning process is making us more and more aware of the immense importance of partnerships, particularly in the world of dance! How can partnerships in the field of art and culture develop in the face of war? We would like to discuss this with you, spontaneously opening up the festival in this direction.
At the same time, our challenge is to think and create art on the basis of climate neutrality/positivity from now on. It is a challenge that generates tremendous energy and constantly new impulses, as Fridays for Future are showing. underdogs and role models will lead a non-stop, day-and-night marathon of climate activism, artistic interventions, dance and music. We will welcome artists, activists, scientists, dance lovers of all styles and movements and especially you, dear audience! Because a future in which nobody gets up to dance truly is a lost future.
The world needs us – our capacity to think (differently), to dance, to be creative. A festival lasting 48 hours with a multitude of dance performances, music, animation, roller-skating, yoga, public classes, club nights, concerts, opera, film, food, action, tree planting and talks with artists and activists from Wuppertal, NRW, Zimbabwe, New York, France, Ireland, Spain, the Czech Republic, Poland… in and around the future Pina Bausch Centre. Tickets for under construction - underdogs and role models can be exchanged in full for food and drink vouchers. The festival will take place in and around the Schauspielhaus, while also building bridges to two other spaces: the first to the Sculpture Park Waldfrieden, with an audio theatre walk by Horst Konietzny and dancers of the Tanztheater, and the second to several orchards and fruit trees in the city – calling on all of us to sponsor a tree. And on 7 May, under construction will participate in the theatre relay race for climate action Auf die Plätze! Endlich! Los!
Bettina Wagner-Bergelt and Stefan Dreher